Italian Film Festival - Kidnapped

By Marco Bellocchio

In 1858, in the Jewish quarter of Bologna, the Pope's soldiers burst into the home of the Mortara family. By order of the cardinal, they came to get Edgardo, their seven-year-old son. According to a maid’s statement, she had believed the then six-month old child to be on the verge of death and had secretly baptized him. The papal law is unquestionable: he is Catholic and must receive a Catholic education. Edgardo's parents, distraught, will do anything to get their son back. Supported by public opinion and the international Jewish community, the Mortara’s battle soon took on a political dimension. But the Pope did not agree to return the child. While Edgardo grew up in the Catholic faith, the temporal power of the Church was declining.

Based on the book Il caso Mortara by Daniele Scalise.

Location: Theatre 1